The Clink at HMP Highdown

What they say

“As a training restaurant within a prison, The Clink’s aim is to reduce reoffending rates of ex-offenders. We work in partnership with Her Majesty’s Prison Service to run fine dining restaurants that train and give practical skills to prisoners to aid their rehabilitation. This allows prisoners to learn, engage with the public, and take their first steps towards a new life. Using locally sourced ingredients including vegetables from HMP Send gardens, we provide a varied menu including vegetarian and vegan options.”

What we say

Eating at The Clink is a restaurant visit like no other: the razor wire, the holding rooms, the security checks, the frisks and scanners, the surrendering of all electronic equipment including phones (no Instagramming photo merchants here)... and then the food, which is pretty damned good, considering. Charmingly served and cooked by the prisoners themselves, it is well-balanced, prettily presented, and nutritious. And at times, excellent. After good arancini and chicken bourguinon, we were served a pecan nut steamed pudding with crushed caramel and vanilla pod ice cream that was simply unimpeachable. A project to feed the soul as much as the belly.